Date: 1910 - 1911

Scope/content:

Keywords

UKAT

Other details

Contained records

Letter from Lionel de Rothschild (House of Commons) to WSC concerning the Jewish community's attitude towards Sir George Kemp's [later Lord Rochdale] amendment to the Shops Bill [on Sunday trading] which would be to their disadvantage. Signed manuscript.

Note from [Sir Edward Troup, Permanent Under Secretary of State, Home Office] to WSC concerning a letter to [John] Clancy [Member of Parliament for North Dublin, Ireland]. He encloses a division list [see CHAR 12/5/23] saying that the question was so inadequately discussed that many Members declined to vote. Manuscript signed with initials.

Letter from Sir Francis Knollys [Private Secretary to King George V] (Marlborough House, Pall Mall [London]) to WSC expressing pleasure on behalf of the King that WSC has introduced the Shop Hours Bill, and saying that the King hopes that it will be passed before the adjournment of the House of Commons. Signed manuscript.

Letter from George Toulmin (The Lancashire Daily Post, Preston [Lancashire]) to WSC concerning a meeting between WSC and large shopkeepers in Manchester, pointing out that many members of surrounding constituencies have different opinions. Signed manuscript.

Letter from Walter Runciman [President of the Board of Education] to WSC enclosing a letter [not present] from some of his constituents [from Dewbury, Yorkshire] and requesting a reply. Signed manuscript.

Letter from Sir Rufus Isaacs [later Lord Reading, Attorney General], on the notepaper of the Attorney General, to WSC enclosing a deputation from an association of Reading [Berkshire] grocers [see CHAR 12/5/7] objecting to the Shops (No. 2) Bill on grounds that the bill will limit hours of work, but not hours of trading, and thus will work against shopkeepers who are dependent on assistants. Signed typescript.

Copy of a resolution passed by the Reading [Berkshire] and District Grocers and Provision Merchants Association concerning the Shops (No. 2) Bill and proposed restrictions on hours of work. Typescript on the notepaper of the Attorney General. Covering letter at CHAR 12/5/6.

Draft letter from WSC (Home Office) to Walter Runciman [President of the Board of Education] apologising for not being able to receive a deputation from the Dewsbury [Yorkshire] Off License Holders Protection Association, and adding an assurance that the [Shops Bill] will not restrict the hours in which groceries may be sold. Unsigned manuscript in the hand of Edward Marsh.

Copy of a letter from [WSC] ([Home Office]) to James Seddon [President of the Shop Assistants' Union] assuring him that the Shops Bill has not been abandoned, but postponed due to the "extraordinary political crisis" [constitutional deadlock between the Liberal Government and the House of Lords]. Unsigned typescript.

Letter from K Ward (18 Cadogan Square [London]) to [WSC] forwarding a letter [not present] on behalf of [Oswald] Partington and noting that the original letter from a dairy man had been destroyed. Signed manuscript.

Draft letter from [WSC] (Home Office) to [Oswald] Partington concerning the Shops Bill. He assures him that the Bill will not apply to those who carry milk to shops, and that the milk trade will be excluded from Sunday trading restrictions and the eight o'clock rule. Manuscript [in the hand of Edward Marsh] signed by WSC. See CHAR 12/5/10 and CHAR 12/5/12-12A.

Copy of a letter from WSC (Home Office) to Oswald Partington concerning the Shops Bill. He assures him that the Bill will not apply to those who carry milk to shops, and that the milk trade will be excluded from Sunday trading restrictions, and the restriction that shop assistants are only to be employed after 8 pm on three days of the week. Unsigned typescript. Draft letter at CHAR 12/5/11.

Letter from Thomas Wiles (House of Commons) to WSC reporting a resolution carried unanimously by the London Liberal Federation in favour of omitting the clause on Sunday trading from the Shops Bill, adding that his constituents [in South Islington, London] are opposed to the facilities proposed for Jewish traders. Signed manuscript.

Letter from John Gretton (66 Ennismore Gardens [London]) to WSC marked "private" enclosing a statement [not present] detailing the licensed trade's stipulations regarding the Shops Bill, commenting that there has been no active hostility towards the Bill. Signed manuscript.

Letter from Stuart Samuel (Chelwood Vetchery, Nutley, Sussex) to WSC concerning Clause 4 of the Shops Bill on Sunday trading and the reaction to it by the Jewish community which is demonstrated by an enclosure [see CHAR 12/5/17] and described as "quite out of hand". He adds that the Jewish Board of Deputies is out of touch with Jewish sentiment, and advises WSC not to alienate the large proportion of Liberal votes cast by the Jewish community (who are already "hard hit" by the Shops Bill and the National Insurance Bill, and are afraid of the possible effects of the Aliens Bill). Signed manuscript.

Invitation to a mass meeting of a Demonstration Committee to protest against Sir George Kemp's [later Lord Rochdale] amendment to Clause 4 [of the Shops Bill] and "Mr Churchill's great breach of faith re Sunday Closing" to be held on 26 June 1911. Addressed to Stuart Samuel. Covering letter at CHAR 12/5/16.

Letter from John Clancy [Member of Parliament for North Dublin, Ireland] (House of Commons) to WSC marked "private" concerning a meeting of the Committee on the Shops Bill. He shares the opinion of his Irish colleagues against an amendment limiting the hours of working assistants to 60, which would negate a concession to publicans made in return for the Irish allowing other concessions to assistants. He is also angry at the lack of support given to his amendment by the Liberals present at the meeting, and expects WSC to rectify this at the next meeting. Signed manuscript. See CHAR 12/5/22.

Letter from John Clancy [Member of Parliament for North Dublin, Ireland] (House of Commons) to WSC concerning a proposed clause to the Shops Bill [marked "w21"] which would exclude shops selling intoxicating liquor from the closing order. He informs WSC that the Irish want this clause to be included in the Bill. Signed manuscript.

Draft letter from [WSC] (Home Office) to [John Clancy, Member of Parliament for North Dublin, Ireland] concerning the decision made by the Committee [on the Shops Bill] which would adversely affect an agreement between Irish publicans and their assistants. WSC informs him that he will be proposing an alternative clause concerning English licensed houses which may prove more acceptable [to the Irish]. Unsigned typescript with handwritten corrections. See CHAR 12/5/19 and CHAR 12/5/25.

Letter from Sidney Robinson [Member of Parliament for Breconshire, Wales](House of Commons) to WSC thanking him for assurances that the Shops Bill will not affect the Welsh Sunday Closing Act, and for agreeing to delete Schedule II from the Bill. Signed manuscript.

Letter from John Clancy [Member of Parliament for North Dublin, Ireland] (House of Commons) to WSC replying to WSC's suggestion of a clause concerning English [licensed houses] for the Shops Bill [see CHAR 12/5/22]. He says that this clause would renew a former disagreement between Irish publicans and their assistants. Signed manuscript, annotated "thanked saying Mr Ch will do as he wishes".

Letter from John Clancy [Member of Parliament for North Dublin, Ireland] (House of Commons) to WSC apologising for not being able to attend the next two meetings of the Shops Bill Committee, and saying that his colleagues will attend to help WSC with his clause concerning English publicans. Signed manuscript.

Letter from Randall Davidson [Archbishop of Canterbury] (Lambeth Palace [London]) to WSC marked "private" concerning letters he has received about clauses of the Shops Bill which affect Sunday trading. He reports that there is widespread feeling against shops being normally open on Sundays without a local order to the contrary. Signed typescript.

Letter from WSC (Home Office) to the Archbishop of Canterbury [Randall Davidson] marked "private" concerning the clauses of the Shops Bill which affect Sunday trading, which are described as an "enormous advance...upon Sunday trading". WSC undertakes to review Archbishop Davidson's suggestions, and says that if these clauses are further altered by the House of Lords, he will abandon them altogether. Unsigned typescript.

Draft letter from WSC (Home Office) to an un-named addressee concerning the Shops Bill detailing the number of days holiday which it would confer on shop assistants and expressing the hope that the Bill will confirm good relations between employer and employee. Manuscript in the hand of WSC with a note by [Sir Edward Troup, Permanent Under Secretary of State, Home Office] concerning one of the clauses.

Notes concerning the effects of the Shops Bill on the rights of costermongers [street traders] to trade at Sunday markets and the establishment of a register of those granted licenses to trade. Typescript.

Notes on the Shops Bill including objections to limiting the number of hours during which a shop may remain open and the effects [of clauses on Sunday trading] on costermongers [street traders] and Jews. Typescript.